Quit the stinkin' thinking, already!!

Sometimes our circumstances can feel overwhelming and out of our control. But we need to remember -- our attitude about our circumstances is something we can control and it very well may need to be adjusted.

I listened to Focus on the Family a couple of months ago and Dr. Dobson was talking to a pastor of a church...he used to be an NFL player, I believe...and he has been fighting cancer for a few years. His attitude was AMAZING...he claimed that it was all a gift from God...and he praised God through every moment of the treatment and illness. He was such an inspiration to me. No matter how bad what WE are going through may seem, there is always someone out there who is going through something so much worse.

God can use the circumstances we are in, no matter what they are, for His glory....but we have to cooperate. Things may be sucky -- they are what they are -- but when we wail and complain (which we ALL do at times), we are NOT giving the glory to God. We are glorifying the enemy. And I know that none of us intentionally WANTS to do that. To avoid that, we have to be very, very INTENTIONAL about our words -- we have to get a grip on our lip!

Our words shape our lives. Speak things...not as though they are...but as they SHOULD and WILL be. "Today's load sucks...but I have given it to the Lord and He will give me the strength to carry it. I will have a better and brighter day tomorrow."

You see, our faith and the words that result from it will literally either make us or break us. Think about it...If we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths, we are saved -- our very salvation is a result of the combination of faith and WORDS. You have to keep talking the right thing...and believing the right thing. According to what I've been learning, it is stinkin' thinkin' that defeats people! God gave us His word to remind us.....

1 John 5:14-15 -- 14 This is the assurance we have in approaching god: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of him."

Mark 11:22-24 -- 22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered, " 23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone SAYS to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but BELIEVES that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours...." [emphasis mine]

Romans 5:3-5 -- 3 No only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Ephesians 5: 15-20 -- 15 Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.....19...sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:1-2 -- Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

We need to remember, Jesus already defeated Satan!! But we can allow ourselves to feel defeated...or we can CHOOSE victory. We can choose to feed our faith (faith comes by hearing and hearing by the WORD!)...and let our FAITH feed our MOUTHS. If we do that, then we can be sure that our words are glorifying to God. You can't let Satan discourage you -- again, Jesus already won the battle...but he will try to drag you back down in that pit. And it's a lot easier to just avoid the pit than it is to drag yourself OUT of it. Focus on God, not on your circumstances...as heavy as a burden as they might be. GIVE IT TO GOD. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. I can attest that in the last 6 months that I've been trying to adhere to these principles, I've had such peace!! Even through hard times, the peace remained. I just wanted to share....

***Thanks to Pastor Beth Jones, Brother Kenneth Hagin, and Casandra Howell for inspiration and/or message elements.***